No bail for man charged with shooting a former friend in Lawndale

A man charged with shooting a former friend in the Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side was ordered held without bail.

Carnell Morris, 43, was arrested Wednesday and charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery after opening fire on a 51-year-old he’d known for over a decade, Chicago police and Cook County prosecutors said.

Carnell Morris | Chicago police

On Wednesday, Morris pulled into a gas station parking lot at 1928 S. Pulaski Rd. and walked up to a man he had known for 15 years but no longer associated with, according to Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Britt Steinberg.

Morris shouted “what’s up?” but the man ignored him and walked into the station’s store. When he came back out to his vehicle, Morris was still there and continued shouting “what’s up?” Steinberg said. The man got in his vehicle and drove home, and Morris followed him the entire way.

When they arrived at the man’s house in 1800 block of South Ridgeway Avenue, Morris continued to shout “what’s up” and eventually went back to his own vehicle where he leaned in through the window and took something a passenger handed to him, Steinberg said.

Morris walked back with a gun and fired shots, striking him once in the wrist, Steinberg said.

A neighbor who saw the shooting ran back into his house and watched Morris drive off from the window. He wrote down the license plate number and called police, Steinberg said.

The man was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was treated for a gunshot wound to his wrist and a fractured hand, Steinberg said.

Morris was charged with felony attempted murder and aggravated battery with the discharge of a firearm, Steinberg said.

Morris was on electronic monitoring at the time of the shooting, but was allowed to leave his home only to attend church, Cook County sheriff’s office spokeswoman Sophia Ansari said. The sheriff’s office was “looking into the circumstances of that court ordered movement,” Ansari said.

Judge David Navarro ordered Morris held without bond. His next court date was set for Jan. 16.